Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world

Chapter 168 The Secret Brotherhood

“No wonder Ifamoni sheltered the students. This seemingly normal act led to them being ostracized and isolated by all forces… Such hatred cannot be resolved. As Essex said, it will only stop if one side wipes out the other!”

Vaughn felt a bit awkward thinking about the purpose of leading the delegation to North America.

However, now is not the time to consider these things.

Switching back to the real-world perspective, Vaughn saw that Essex, whose emotions had been stirred up and whose mental state had been plunged into a negative state, had lost her mind.

This is the best opportunity to bypass the other party's mental defenses.

Vaughn didn't delay any longer. He got up and went to Essex's side, took out his wand and pressed it to his forehead. Using the memories and emotions he had absorbed from Essex, he wove a new personality body.

An imposter!
This is a newly improved feature by Vaughn, specifically designed to target wizards who are proficient in memory magic or possess mental defenses such as brain defense spells.

An imposter, crafted from the target wizard's own memories and emotions, can deceive the magic set up in the target's mind for a short period of time.

At this moment, a large amount of processed Essex memories and emotions, under Vaughn's wand, turned into white mist shimmering with starlight.

They intertwined and merged, and soon, a humanoid figure remarkably similar to Essex took shape as Vaughn waved his wand.

"Go!"

Vaughn picked up his wand, lifted the humanoid figure like a puppet, and "pressed" it into Essex's mind.

The next second, Vaughn "saw" it, shimmering with starlight, fall into the mental storm, and the boundless mist extending from the first persona immediately surrounds it.

The humanoid figure, along with the smoke, gradually sank into the storm, into the chaotic, violent fragments, seeping deeper and deeper.

After an unknown amount of time, a "barrier" appeared.

It's a difficult concept to describe; it's hard to pinpoint where it is or what form it takes. But in the feedback from personification, there is indeed an invisible force blocking them.

Through the feedback, Vaughn vaguely sensed that it was like the center of an endless storm, a tranquil void.

"The wizard who cast the defensive spell on him was highly skilled in memory magic, but still not as good as Dumbledore..."

Vaughn once entered Deng Xiaoping's inner world.

There, he felt the same way he does now: a tranquil emptiness. But the difference was that Old Deng's entire inner world was "empty." He seemed to be able to see many things, but upon closer inspection, he realized there was nothing there.

If I really had to give a specific evaluation, it would be: perfect!
There were no flaws, no loopholes, no foundation to be shaken... nothing at all.

Unlike the defenses of the Essex mental world, it still has vulnerabilities that can be exploited—

As Vaughn made a thought, the mist enveloping the humanoid figure slowly dissipated, and the humanoid figure came into contact with the invisible barrier. Then, like a drop of water falling into the sea, it directly "dissolved" into it!

"Success!"

Vaughn remained calm upon receiving the feedback. Of course, the Imposter's abilities were not yet fully developed, and the opponent's defensive techniques were quite brutal.

So although he was curious about the structure and principles of the defensive spells used by the other party, Vaughn did not cause any trouble. Instead, he began to steal Essex's "secrets" as planned!
Before long, a steady stream of memories, filtered and transmitted through the mist tentacles, flowed into Vaughn's body along the wand.

"...Bruce, are you sure you want to do this?"

“I’m certain that the incident where Marino was arrested and his memories were stolen must not happen again.”

"I must remind you again, if anyone tries to break through this defense, it will self-destruct, taking with it the memories you've preserved within. This self-destruction doesn't distinguish between friend and foe, and your mind will suffer extremely severe trauma, very likely..."

“I know I could very well become an idiot, and you should understand that if someone can invade my mind and touch this defense, it means I’ve been captured… Given how those purebloods treat people like us, I might as well become an idiot.”

The light and shadow of memory are hazy and dreamlike.

Like a movie scene with soft lighting, everything was enveloped in a halo of light as Vaughn walked through this Baroque-style manor.

Flowers in full bloom, sunshine warm and gentle.

Phantom figures flashed around him, repeating what had happened here.

These were secret memories he had stolen from Essex. They were numerous and varied, many of which were of little use to him, and it was difficult to distinguish between true and false memories—mixing true and false memories has always been a tried-and-true method in the brain's defense strategy.

Vaughn only stopped walking after hearing the conversation above.

There were two figures behind a patch of flowers; one was Essex, of course, and the other…

Vaughn frowned; another figure was shrouded in mist!
"Very cautious... Even though these memories are hidden, under the self-destruct mechanism, the person who personally set up the defenses still blurred their own existence."

This ambiguity is not just about blurring out appearances, but a concept that represents that all memories of this person in Essex's memory have been set up with an avoidance mechanism!
Vaughn thought for a moment, and a wisp of white mist emerged from the sleeve of his robe, wrapping around the blurry figure.

However, this wisp of white mist, formed from a personification device and capable of discerning memory information and conducting searches and retrievals, passed directly through the figure.

"As expected..."

Seeing the expected result, Vaughn pondered for a moment and did not dwell on it any longer. Even if the other party was not as good as Dumbledore, he was probably still a master of memory magic.

When facing such memory magic masters, it's inevitable to fail if you know nothing about them.

The two figures behind the flowers began repeating their previous conversation. Vaughn didn't leave either, but stayed in place, releasing more and more white mist.

Before long, the entire manor was shrouded in a light mist!
He closed his eyes slightly. In the world of his mind, the mist that his personality manifested was an extension of his "senses." He could use them to filter various information with greater efficiency.

Soon, Vaughn realized something. He sank into the mist and then emerged from a secret-like room.

It was still Essex and that blurry, unseen figure.

"...Do we really have to control him? I have a bad feeling about this. Is the organization being too optimistic? You guys always say that the potion distracts him, but that's just speculation, isn't it?"

"Don't scare yourself, Bruce. A little wizard who hasn't even started second grade has invented the wolfsbane potion. How much energy do you think he has left to learn magic?"

"Didn't you notice his speech? And all the things he's done since founding WAC? Besides, kidnapping a child, that..."

"Alright, those actions were most likely Albus Dumbledore's doing. As for your concerns... sorry, Bruce, we had no choice!"

"Why don't we have a choice? We can cooperate with him, just like Iphamoni!"

"Don't be naive, Bruce. Cooperation requires equality. Vaughn Weasley has the unique Wolfsbane Potion. What do we have? What does Ifamoni have? Neither we nor Ifamoni can offer equal terms. Cooperation? Do you think those people at WAC are doing charity?"

"I……"

"Bruce, my friend, you've seen firsthand how amazing that potion is. None of the werewolves we captured lost their minds during their full moon transformation. Do you understand what that means? It's almost a 100% success rate, which means the werewolves have transformed from beasts into terrifying weapons!"

The blurry figure grabbed Essex's shoulder and emphasized, "If we can control them, we'll have the power to overturn the current situation. If we launch a few full moon wars, or if, as Vaughn Weasley said in his speech, he develops a potion that allows werewolves to control their transformations... then our ideals can be realized!"

ideal!

This is a deadly lure for anyone, whether they are hopeful or desperate!
Vaughn coldly observed the evolution of this memory, watching Essex hesitate for a long time before finally agreeing to the plan, drawn by the bright prospects of being controlled by the blurry figure.

He didn't show any emotional reaction whatsoever because the two were targeting him.

Instead, I was reflecting on how I seemed to have been looked down upon more than once!

"Should I make a big fuss and let the magical world know about my strength?"

Vaughn thought about it seriously.

In any world, if you leave others with the impression of being weak, then you have original sin, and everyone will want to bully you.

Unfortunately, Vaughn hated that kind of trouble!
Lost in thought, another message came in. Vaughn sank into the mist and reappeared in another room.

To his surprise, Essex was not among the figures that appeared this time.

In the small room, which was filled with light from an unknown source, only a blurry figure stood in a halo of light.

When Vaughn appeared, "it" was looking down.

"..."

Seeing the figure's strange behavior, which didn't fit the memory's pattern, Vaughn frowned slightly. After a moment, he asked, "How should I address you?"

As he spoke, the blurry figure moved.

It raised its hand, and a few wisps of white mist slipped from its fingers as it stirred. A voice came: "You can call me DeSantis, that's what they all call me in Essex."

Vaughn stared at "it" expressionlessly: "Are you a split consciousness from DeSantis? Or did he grant you intelligence?"

It tilted its head: "No, that's not right. You should say that he gave me life, and I am a living memory!"

"...a concept I've never encountered before."

“That’s normal. This is my unique magic, just like your white mist… I think Dumbledore must have taught you to forge your own path.”

It seemed to laugh, and its blurry face looked more lifelike. It looked at Vaughn, and its voice echoed throughout the room: "I deliberately stirred up this white mist just now so that you wouldn't have to listen to that embarrassing conversation. I admit, I underestimated you a little before, Mr. Vaughn Weasley!"

The narrow, windowless house was not dark at all; instead, it was filled with the same warm amber light as the outside world.

The world of the mind is always unpredictable, as if logic does not exist.

For the two people in the room at this moment, this kind of illogical abstraction was precisely their area of ​​expertise.

The white fog inside the house grew thicker and thicker, seemingly pouring in from some invisible gap. Correspondingly, the diffused amber light also became brighter, as if it were actually pressing down on the fog, preventing it from engulfing the blurry figure of "De Santis"!
This is a clash between memory magicians; all danger lies hidden beneath a calm surface.

On the surface, the two acted as if nothing had happened, exchanging casual pleasantries:

"You know Dumbledore?"

"Yes, we've met a few times and had a very pleasant conversation."

“I haven’t heard him mention it, which means your relationship with him isn’t close enough for you to meet privately. As far as I know, Dumbledore has basically never left England in recent years. I also know of several times. When I was researching before, I didn’t see any American groups visiting the British Isles… Did you meet at the International Federation meeting?”

A smile seemed to flicker across DeSantis's blurred face: "You're very perceptive, child."

"The term 'child' seems to be more preferred by older wizards."

Faced with Vaughn's continued verbal probing, DeSantis chuckled and asked with interest, "Yes, I am 83 years old. Can you guess who I am?"

Vaughn remained calm: "I'll investigate later. Someone with your level of memory magic couldn't possibly be an unknown person, unless..."

DeSantis looked at him with increasing admiration: "That's right, child. A simple yet effective forgetting spell can magically erase a wizard from people's memories. Rebelling against purebloods is not something I did on a whim; I've been preparing for this for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Vaughn subtly frowned.

The fact that a wizard was meticulously concealing his identity and seemed well-prepared made him uneasy.

They were inclined to continue testing the waters.

But DeSantis clearly didn't want to discuss the topic anymore. It lowered its head, glanced at the undulating white mist that had spread to its waist, shimmering and resisting the amber light, and exclaimed in admiration:

"A very imaginative memory magic, using Essex's memories and emotions as a shell to weave a main consciousness that is so realistic that it is hard to believe. I have to admit that this is a situation that I did not consider before. I left this defensive spell only to prevent Essex's memories from being stolen, but I did not think about guarding against 'himself'."

“But you suppressed it,” Vaughn said calmly.

DeSantis shook his head: "No, because you have concerns and dare not go all out. After all, it came in by deception and 'smuggling' in. If you make too much noise, Essex's subconscious will sense the abnormality, and then it will activate its defenses, and your plans will fall through."

Vaughn looked at it. "That's what I don't understand either. Since DeSantis left you behind, it must be to prevent a similar situation. Why didn't you activate the defensive spell and let this mental space self-destruct?"

“Because I want to talk to you in person.” With that, DeSantis gestured for him to continue.

The room trembled silently as a door opened in a dazzling amber light, leading directly to the garden outside: "This manor holds some of Essex's fondest memories. It has many relaxing views that make you feel there's still hope in the world. Why don't you go for a walk?"

Vaughn didn't say anything, but slowly followed.

Outside, the entire sky was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun; this must be a scene captured from Essex's memories.

A manor bathed in the twilight.

An amber halo, as if solidified, enveloped the buildings, walls, flowers, and even the most ordinary floor tiles, gilding everything with a golden edge.

In the distance, a golden stream flows gently in. In this abstract place, it defies all the laws of the real world, suspended in the air like a crystal vein, winding between buildings and gardens.

But Vaughn's attention wasn't on the creek or the manor, but on the twilight light.

To be precise, it was the setting sun on the horizon!
Noticing his gaze, DeSantis smiled and said, "I have to praise you again, you are very perceptive, child. That sun is my defensive spell, a projection in this abstract world, but its existence is more symbolic."

"because of you!"

"Yes, I am DeSantis's proudest creation, just like the white mist you created. I must say, you are the most talented little wizard I have ever seen."

"Oh? How many people have you met?"

“There’s no need to test me. I’m not very old, but I have DeSantis’s memories. Wizards believe that all things have spirits. First of all, this ‘thing’ must be something that actually exists. Although memories are abstract, they are clearly within the scope of ‘things’.”

Vaughn glanced at "DeSantis": "Are you explaining your philosophy to me?"

"Of course!"

"Did DeSantis allow this as well?"

“No, this is my decision,” it replied. “I told you I am a living memory, a life born from an abstract concept. From the moment DeSantis created me using memories, I have been free, just like a real life.”

life……

Vaughn silently repeated the word, saying nothing more, and listened as "DeSantis" continued:
“I noticed you the moment Essex fell into a coma and you first attempted to infiltrate. I could have activated the defense spell directly and destroyed all the secrets kept here, but your actions and your strength made me decide to risk meeting you.”

Vaughn remained noncommittal. "What are you planning to talk about?"

Let's talk about collaboration!

“Heh…” Vaughn chuckled. “If you’re not confused, you should remember that before you lured me to meet you, I had already seen what the real DeSantis was like towards me.”

DeSantis said matter-of-factly, "That's because he misjudged your strength. Werewolves, WACs, the weak don't have the ability to control them, so it's only right for the strong to plunder them."

“But things are different now. I have confirmed through Essex that you are a strong person, capable of controlling everything you currently possess, and equally qualified to speak with DeSantis.”

Vaughn tilted his head and looked at it: "Are you so sure DeSantis will believe your judgment?"

"Yes, I was born from his memories; you can think of me as another version of him."

It looked confident.

Vaughn still felt something was strange. A memory entity attached to an abstract mental world was making judgments as if it were an independent life in the real world, making decisions for another independent individual, who was also its creator...

It feels absurd, like having a serious negotiation with someone from your dream!
However, he didn't doubt the other party's previous statements too much. Although he had never heard of the so-called "living memory," Vaughn was not surprised. The Golden Soul Theory even believed that there were two entities in the universe (the Great Reality and the Aether). What else was impossible in the magical world?

He only had some doubts about whether "it" could make the decision.

Vaughn pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "If you really want to talk, then let the real DeSantis talk to me."

"Oh, you don't trust me."

Vaughn smiled: "I know almost nothing about you, so how can I talk about trust?"

"What do you want to know?"

"There are many things, such as what your organization is called and what your ultimate goal is. Essex's idea is to kill all the purebloods, but that cannot be the overall ideology and goal of an organization. As a leader, you should understand one sentence: A brutal pleasure will end in brutality."

As they spoke, the two had already passed through the manor's garden, and the countless phantoms that had been there before were no longer seen along the way.

This confirms what "DeSantis" said; it controls everything here.

The garden thus became very quiet, just like the amber light that now filled the sky and this space of the soul.

But DeSantis showed no interest in appreciating this scenery that could not be seen in the real world. It looked at Vaughn with admiration: "That last line was Shakespeare? Essex is right. You are indeed different from many wizards. You know Muggles very well, which is rare."

“I dare say that even Dumbledore, who says he’s close to Muggles, probably sees them as no different from ants. How many people care what ants are doing? But you don’t have that deep-seated arrogance, which is an advantage that you can’t see in others, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m willing to talk to you!”

"Thank you," Vaughn said politely.

Unfazed by his indifference, DeSantis continued with great interest, "Back to the topic, you're right, I do have a deeper purpose in creating this organization, but I can't say. As for the name of the organization, I can tell you, you'll find out later anyway—the Mystic Brotherhood!"

The Secret Brotherhood!
Vaughn muttered the name a few times, but couldn't recall any corresponding memories. Including all the reports about North America that he had been following over the past year, and the intelligence provided by Barty Crouch, there was no such organization.

Seemingly sensing his confusion, "De Santis" tapped his head in acknowledgment:

"I've cast a spell on this name, something like a forgetting spell. Anyone who hears this name will find it harder to remember, and as time goes by, the impression will fade rapidly, and then they'll forget it!"

Even after receiving the explanation, Vaughn was even more confused, his brow furrowing slightly: "Why do this?"

It shrugged: "To avoid being noticed by those gentlemen in Woolworth..." It paused, then continued: "Alright, I'll tell you something as a token of my sincerity in wanting to cooperate—beware of the Dreamcatcher. If you have any secrets, it's best not to talk about them where it can reach!"

"……Then what?"

"Our sincerity ends here." It spread its hands innocently.

Ah!
Vaughn chuckled, never expecting to be the one riddle-solved on one day. It was truly...

“I understand your caution. It’s normal for you to have doubts because you don’t know much about me or the Brotherhood of Arcane Arts,” it continued. “But I still have to say, in all of America, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more suitable partner than me.”

“I think you are well aware of how powerful the power you wield can be if used properly. Therefore, we are not the only ones who covet you and WAC. Right now, you are like a piece of fat meat, surrounded by wolves. Before today, the Secret Arts Brotherhood and I were among them. But I am different from those people. I have great respect for the strong. You have shown your strength, so I will abandon my original plans. As for the others... it's not certain!”

Vaughn said calmly, "That's just your side of the story."

"Yes, but you can't deny that the conversation you saw between me and Essex was the most common plan that many wizarding organizations in the United States had when facing you and WAC."

“Perhaps!” Vaughn retorted sharply. “As for whether the Mystic Brotherhood is suitable, I think you’ve overlooked the reasons you gave in your conversation with Essex—our cooperation is unequal. I can offer Wolfsbane Potion, but what can you offer in return?”

"Ah—that is indeed a problem..."

"DeSantis" said with a troubled expression.

It thought for a moment, and was about to say something when it was interrupted by Vaughn.

As the twilight solidified on the horizon, Vaughn's figure faded, and wisps of white mist gathered from the entire manor, enveloping him.

"Let's stop here for today. We can talk again once you've made up your mind. I'll take Essex back with me!"

Having said that, his figure, along with the white mist, vanished from somewhere.

Only the surrounding amber-like light remained, trembling blankly a few times as the object of suppression suddenly disappeared, before gradually returning to calm.

In what seemed like an eternal stillness, "De Santis" sat motionless for a moment, then rose:

"What a cautious fellow..."

As it rose, the tranquil manor came alive once more, with phantoms appearing in the seemingly frozen light, just as Vaughn had when he first entered.

Essex after Essex, vague "De Santis" after vague "De Santis".

It wandered among the numerous phantoms, listening to the cacophony of voices:
"Did he discover us?"

"Impossible! The great DeSantis could not possibly have been discovered!"

"You idiot, you revealed too much information and let him get away!"

"Don't be impatient, you reckless fool. Everything is under the control of the great DeSantis. The little wizard is very vigilant and has never left his toy-like white mist. The great DeSantis finds this troublesome and must be more patient—"

"Idiot! Fool! Moron!"

Ignoring the noisy chatter of the "De Santis," "De Santis" pondered for a moment before stepping into one of them.

Two blurry figures gradually overlapped, and the moment they became one, all sound disappeared!
In the dim light, the manor, seemingly encased in amber, returned to normal, peaceful and tranquil, with the phantoms methodically enacting their "memory."

It's as if the scene from a second ago never happened...

……

Forest, late at night.

In the world of the mind, the passage of time is completely different from that of reality. Vaughn felt that he had been in Essex memories for a long time, but in reality, it was probably only a few minutes?
The campfire was still burning brightly, crackling and popping.

Upon regaining consciousness, Vaughn frowned as he looked at Essex, who had fallen unconscious across from him.

"That DeSantis... he's very strange!"

What's strange isn't the existence of the life form "DeSantis".

After all, transforming illusory, abstract memories into a life with independent thought and intelligence, though Vaughn had never encountered such a thing, was not a pipe dream.

In fact, one of the goals that Vaughn initially considered when developing personality suits was to refine them into the concept of strong artificial intelligence, as seen in the science fiction movies he had watched in his previous life.

It is also a discipline that studies this real universe.

What technology can do, magic can certainly do as well.

"What I find strange is not that there's anything wrong with it, but that everything is too normal..."

With a faint blue light gleaming in his eyes, Vaughn scanned the unconscious Essex. The other man's mind was still in a state of chaos, and the "storm" originating from his spirit had not yet subsided.

The chaotic aura appeared to him like mud of various colors mixed together.

The two are clearly distinct, yet distorted and deformed!

“Everything seems to make sense. Essex’s mental breakdown was the result of my guidance. Delving into his mind to investigate the secret was also my own decision. Although meeting 'DeSantis' was unexpected, the process is logical when you think about it carefully. If I help someone hide a secret, I will also leave a personality body behind to avoid unexpected situations!”

"This is an inevitable choice after acquiring the corresponding capabilities. The only problem is that its stance changed too quickly... Just because of what happened in Essex, it confirmed my strength and then decided to change the original plan?"

Although it makes sense logically.

But such a change is very "unrealistic"!
After all, humans are emotional creatures. In reality, in things dominated by humans, the general rule is that stance is above right and wrong, taking sides is above the truth, and personal relationships are above reason!

Although these patterns can be reversed under the principle of seeking benefits and avoiding harm, the development of things will inevitably have a transition.

However, during his conversation with "DeSantis," Vaughn did not detect such a transition; he only heard sincerity—it even revealed some information about "Dreamcatcher" to gain his trust!

Vaughn admitted that he did not have a deep understanding of human nature, but he also understood that when someone's attitude towards you is unusual, you should be wary of whether they have other motives, especially if they were hostile to you not long ago!
Thinking it over, he opened his satchel and took out a parchment.

(End of this chapter)